As we move into summer the weather is still unsettled. Bring your warm clothes and don’t be surprised you will want your shorts. The crowds of Memorial weekend are gone and the summer crowds are not here yet. This is a great time to be fly fishing the waters of the Eastern Sierra. Hatches of mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies and midges are feeding the trout on the substrate and on the surface. Pulling streamers is producing a few trophy trout.
Afternoon storms have been showing up in the Sierra making a dramatic backdrop to fly fishing on the East Walker River.
East Walker River
Miracle Mile Section:
The Miracle Mile Section is coming back from the complete fish kill from two years ago. There are more bigger fish than young of the year fish in the Miracle Mile Section. There is a mid-day hatch of blue wing olive mayflies that the juvenile trout are feeding on. On the surface fish with size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 20 olive sparkle duns and size 20 Adams parachutes. On the substrate fish with size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons and size 18 Frenchie’s. For the trophy trout fish with size 12 stoner nymphs, size 12 green/gold Prince nymphs, size 16 Duracell nymphs and size 12 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears. For the streamer fly fishers use size 6 and 10 leech patterns, wooly buggers and slumpbusters.
An East Walker brown trout that was fooled with a drag free drift and a size 18 olive quilldigon fished under an indicator.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
The cutthroat season on the upper Owens River is coming to an end. There will be some fish in the river through early June, but the bulk of the run is done spawning and heading back to the lake. Throwing size 12 stoner nymphs, size 12 green/gold wire Prince nymphs and size 12 Richards variation of a gold ribbed hare’s ear and size 14 copper John’s in the deep holes, deep runs and cut banks is where you will find trophy trout willing to take a bigger meal. The resident six to 12 inch rainbows and browns are feeding mid-day on the blue wing olive hatch. Fish with size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 20 olive sparkle duns and size 20 Adams parachutes on the surface when the trout are rising consistently. On the substrate fish with size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 Frenchie’s and size 16 thread midges in tiger and zebra coloration.
Afternoon storms are bringing wind and rain to the meadows of the upper Owens River where fly fishers have been fishing for spawning cutthroats.
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
Fishing dry flies is what most fly fishers are going to Hot Creek Interpretive site for. The blue wing olive hatch is coming off mid-day. Use size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 20 olive sparkle duns and size 20 Adams parachutes. If you have trouble seeing the size 20 blue wing olive patterns, use a size 16 Adams parachutes, size 16 elk hair caddis and size 14 stimulator as an indicator. Use three feet of 6X tippet tied to the bend of the indicator fly and attach the other end through the eye of blue wing olive pattern. A drag free drift is mandatory to catching fish in the Interpretive Site of Hot Creek.
Fishing the holes and runs of Hot Creek Interpretive site with blue wing olive parachute patterns are producing wild rainbow and brown trout to 16 inches.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
Now is a great time to be nymphing in the Canyon Section of Hot Creek. With increased flows from spring runoff you need the right amount of weight to keep your flies bouncing off the substrate. For nymphs fish with size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 12 stoner nymph, size 18 Frenchie, size 16 Duracell nymphs, size 18 green/gold brassies, size 18 soft hackle brassies and size 18 thread midges in zebra and tiger coloration.
The lower Owens River flows are up from 250 CFS, in the picture, to flows over 400 CFS
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
Flows are around 400 CFS and expected to continue to go up as summer progresses. With flows over 300 CFS and not safe to wade the river I’m done fishing the lower Owens River until the flows drop below 300 CFS. Expect flows to subside sometime in the fall normally in early October. I highly recommend checking the DWP lower Owens River flows before going out to the river at: http://wsoweb.ladwp.com/Aqueduct/realtime/norealtime.htm.
The clear flats of Bishop Creek Canal require fly fishers to be stealthy when stalking the surface feeding trout.
Bishop Creek Canal
Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:
It will not be long before Bishop Creek will be too hot to fish middle of the day. For now a mid-day hatch is feeding the trout on the surface and on the substrate. On the surface fish with size 18 blue wing olive parachutes, size 18 olive sparkle duns and size 18 Adams Parachute. On the substrate fish with size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 12 stoner nymphs and thread midges in zebra and tiger coloration.